1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the treatment of materials and more particularly to a centrifugal mill in combination with an adjustable rate feed device for treatment of organic materials.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The ever increasing waste disposal problems and interest in the recycling of various materials has in recent years spurred the design and development of many systems and devices for processing waste and other materials either for more efficient disposal or for recycling purposes. Many elaborate systems and devices have emerged such as the relatively small and simple magnetic separators, air classifiers and the like, all the way to the extremely large processing plants for specialized waste treatment purposes such as automobile crushing and material separating facilities.
In many installations, devices such as the above mentioned air classifiers, magnetic separators, large crushers, and the like are employed in an assembly line like fashion with each device designed to perform a particular function. This technique invariably results in very large and expensive facilities, with the end result being that many locations having relatively low volume and/or specialized needs cannot afford or otherwise justify such installations.
One such need is for an apparatus which processes low density frangible organic materials such as garbage, animal wastes, grass clippings, weeds, cotton stocks, corn stocks, grain, wastes from animal slaughter houses and the like.
Ideally, an apparatus for treatment of the above described organic materials should be relatively small, inexpensive, have a relatively low rate of energy consumption, and be otherwise suitable for installation on sites having special needs. To the best of my knowledge, no device has been devised or suggested for treating organic materials.
One such mechanism which comes close to filling such requirements is fully disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,987,970 issued on Oct. 26, 1976 to the same inventor. That mechanism is a centrifugal mill which is designed for simultaneously treating solid refuse, such as the waste materials normally collected from domestic and commercial sources, and simultaneously treating such refuse with a liquid carrier medium such as sewage effluent to produce a pumpable slurry. The solid refuse and liquid carrier are fed into the head of the centrifugal mill and are directed to a pre-breaker means. The pre-breaker means is a centrally located rotating device which tears garbage containers apart such as the commonly used plastic bags, cardboard cartons, tin cans and the like, and throws those containers and the contents against the side walls of the mill. Gravity then causes these materials to flow downwardly through a series of comminution means which shreds the solid refuse, blends it with the liquid carrier and mixes air therewith to produce an odor free pumpable slurry. The slurry exits the mill through adjustable flow control means by which the through-put rate of the mill is controlled. This particular prior art centrifugal mill is ideal for its intended purpose, however, it lacks efficiency when organic materials are processed therethrough in that the pre-breaker means is not particularly effective in handling these relatively light weight frangible organic materials.
Therefore, a need exists for an apparatus for treating frangible organic materials.